Serves as a liaison between school personnel, family, healthcare professionals and the community

Participates as a health consult for all special needs teams to include: Pupil Personnel Services, Individual Educational Planning, and 504 plans.

The primary responsibility for the health of each child ultimately rests with the parent/guardian. The role of the health service is to supplement the efforts of the parents and/or guardians.

The District 205 Nurse’s Duties are performed in accordance with standards of professional school nurse best practice, district and state board of education policies and procedures, Pupil and Personnel Services Recommended Practices and Procedures for School Nursing, and Illinois State law regarding nurse practice.

“You cannot educate a child who is not healthy, and you cannot keep a child healthy who is not educated.”

-Jocelyn Elders, MD-former Surgeon General

Health Requirements

All studentsenrolledin district 205must haveHealth Examinationperformed within one year prior to the date of entering9th grade.Theexamination must beon an approved State of IllinoisCertificate of Health Examinationform andsignedbya physician. The examination must also include a Diabetes Risk Assessment, BodyMass Index (BMI), and a Health History completed by the parent or guardian.Every student must meet minimum immunization requirements administered at the required intervals and to include the following:

(3doses)
Polio with last dose after age 4

(3doses)
DTP/DT/Tdap - the last dose given after age 4, and a Tdap given after age
10

Along with the above requirements, students
entering 12th grade must show proof of receiving the Meningococcal
Conjugate Vaccine, per Illinois State Board of Education requirements.

The law requires proof of adequate immunization signed by a physician, serologic proof of immunity or a valid medical or religious exemption. If the above requirements are not met prior to entrance of your student your student can be excluded from school by the principal.

Dental and Vision Examinations are recommended but not required for high school entrance at this time.

Medication Administration in School

School District 205, in accordance with The State of Illinois Recommended Guidelines For Medication Administration In Schools, recognizes that, in some circumstances, medication for individual students must be available during school hours.The taking of medication at school is discouraged unless it is necessary for the child to attend school.Parents must make every effort to give daily or regular doses of medication at home.A student may carry his/her inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector, if properly instructed on its use and a medication authorization form is on file in The Nurses' Office.

Guidelines for administration of prescription and over-the-counter medications:

The school nurse must have a written request from the child’s physician that indicates the name, frequency, dosage, route, and side effects of the medication.In addition, the condition being treated and the length of time the medication is to be administered are to be specified by the physician.

The nurse must have a written request from the parent to administer the medication as specified by the physician. A verbal or telephone request is not adequate.

Both types of medication must be either in the container prepared by the pharmacist or the over-the-counter medication bottle. Both containers must include the name and strength of the medication, (the pharmacy label does not constitute a written order and cannot be used in lieu of a written order from a licensed health care provider.When having prescriptions filled, parents should request two containers for home and school.

Medication orders must be renewed annually and where there is a change

Medication will
be kept in a locked, secure cabinet in the Nurses’ Office. Other than prescribed
inhalers or epinephrine auto-injectors, students are not allowed to bring
medication to school. If a student is found with medication, it will be
confiscated by security. Parents will be given until the end of each semester
to pick up medication or it will be disposed of.

Vision and Hearing Screenings

Vision and Hearing screenings are provided annually to District 205 students at the state mandated grade levels. Students routinely screened also include: Special Education, students transferring into the district that have not been previously screened, and teacher requests.

Emergency Services

Thornton Township District 205 maintains health offices in each of its schools, staffed with fully qualified, professionally licensed registered nurses.Students remaining for after-school activities such as sports are under the supervision of an adult. Professional registered nurses are not on duty after school hours but all members of the coaching staff are trained in first aid in accordance with state guidelines.

When an emergency arises, either during or after school hours, every effort is made to notify parents of the emergency contacts provided. In extreme emergencies and when parents or their designee are not able to be contacted, the student’s health safety may necessitate transportation by ambulance to a hospital.

The district expects every family to provide the school with emergency phone numbers that are up-to-date and accurate.Accordingly an emergency contact form must be completed annually for a student to be admitted to school.

Thornton Township High Schools District 205

Preparing all District 205 Students to be Competitive Leaders in our Global Society

465 E. 170th St. South Holland, IL 60473708-225-4000Fax:

Disclosure of Federal Participation - Projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal grant money must credit the Federal government for the Federal government's portion of the financial support. This web page citation informs the public that the use of Federal dollars in the Thornton Township High School District #205 meets the Stevens Amendment requirement. Staff development opportunities, resource purchases and personnel have been funded in whole or in part with federal entitlement dollars.